Container



Patented Feb. 2, 1943 CNTAINER Neil P. Van Wingen, Grand Rapids, Mich., .assignor to American Box Board Company, Grand Rapids, Michr., a corporation of Michigan Application May 2, 1940, Serial No. 332,927

l Claim.

This invention relates to a container or receptacle which may be used for the holding and shipment of celery or like Vegetables; though the receptacle as cons-tructed is not limited necessarily for the holding of any specific articles.

In transporting the containers are stacked one above the other in cars, trucks or the like, and in such stacks the lower containers or receptacles must support the weight of those and their contents above, and must be sufiiciently strong for such purpose and not crush in a downward direction or bulge outwardly. The present invention is concerned with a simple, practical andv novel receptacle construction which is strongly reinforced and in which all of the weight which must be supported is carried by corner posts within the receptacle and which, in a stack of receptacles, will be in vertical alinement so that the walls of the receptacles are substantially free from the weight and pressure and will maintain their normal positions. Such container or receptacle may, therefore, be made of paper board stock and be of light weight and economical to make and at the same time fully and capably withstand the weights and pressures to which subjected in service.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the container or receptacle with the upper side open.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through a side of the receptacle and looking toward an end thereof and a corner post, one of which is located in each corner of said receptacle, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing an inner corner of the receptacle where the material is joined together, before the corner post is put in place.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the difierent figures of the drawing.

The receptacle having parallel spaced upright sides I and 2 and similar ends 3 and 4, with upper and lower closure fiaps 5 and 6 respectively, foldably connected at the upper and lower edges of the sides and ends of the receptacle is a common and conventional construction of a paperV board box to which my invention is applied. Within the box or receptacle at each corner thereof a corner post 1 of wood is adapted to be placed. It is triangular in cross section having two sides bearing against a side and an end of the receptacle respectively and an inner side facing toward the interior of the receptacle as shown.

Between the top and bottom of the receptacle, adjacent each corner, the sides I and 2 and ends 3 and i; are cut to provide tongues 8 which are free at both sides and one end but integrally connected at the other end with said sides and ends of the receptacle. Said tongues may be pressed inwardly and a corner post inserted downwardly within the tongues, as shown in Fig. 1. The tongues through an inherent and natural tendency to return to their normal positions press sufliciently against the posts 1 to retain them in position. The lower ends of the posts rest upon the bottom which is made by turning the fiaps in the usual manner, and said posts extend upwardly so that their upper ends are substantially flush with the upper end of the receptacle permitting the upper fiaps 5 and 6 to be folded thereover and sealed in the usual manner.

In practice the receptacle or container is made from a single section of paper material properly cut and scored and a flap, as at 9, which is connected at one end of the ends 3 may be turned inwardly to lie against the inner side of the adjacent side 2 and be stapled thereto as shown in Fig. 3. With my invention at the place where the adjacent tongue 8 is cut from such side 2, the fiap 9 is cut away or recessed so as to uncover such tongue 8 and permit it to be pressed inwardly, as otherwise it would be stopped from inward movement because of coverage by said flap.

The paper box or container may be manufactured at the factory in the usual manner and will differ from conventional paper boxes of like character only in the provision of the tongues 8 and the cutting out of a part of the flap 9 as described, so that for Shipping purposes from the factory to where the containers are to be used, they may occupy smallest space available, being shipped in a flat condition. The posts 1 are readily put in place in the corners of the box after they have been unfolded and the bottom provided, as in Fig. 1, pressing inwardly the tongues 8 and inserting the posts behind them. The receptacle may then be filled with celery or the like and closed at its upper end by the upper closure fiaps 5 and 6.

If desired the closure fiaps may be Secured in closed position by driving nails IU, such as large headed roofing nails, through them and into the ends of the respective corner posts 1. It is also conceived that the outer closure fiaps may be made wide enough to extend clear across the box and attached by nails to the corner posts at the opposite side.

Containers thus constructed and assembled may be stacked one upon another and the posts will sustain the Weight of such containers and their contents as are stacked above.

The invention is very practical and useful and has so proven in use.

The claim appended hereto defines the invention which is to be considered comprehensive of a11 forms of Structure coming Within their scope.

I claim:

In combination with a cardboard box having a vertical corner formed by the juncture of two vertical sides, of a wooden corner post substantially the same height as the box and triangular in cross section, said post being located at said corner with two of its sides in contact with the respective sides of the box, a tongue cut from the material of each side of the box having one por- -tion integrally joined therewith, each tongue having its free portion cut from that part of the side extending toward the corner of the box and each tongue overlapping the diagonal surface of the corner post, the corners of the corner post adjacen-t said diagonal surface fitting closely adjacent the juncture between the fiaps and their respective sides.

NEIL' P. VAN WINGEN. 

